Cleveland State University
ESC 720
Research Communications
Lecture 6 – The Writing Process,
Effective Writing, and
Common Writing Mistakes
Dan Simon
Outline
1. The Writing Process
2. Writing Effective Sentences
3. Common Writing Mistakes
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1. The Writing Process
Conduct Research
Write paper
for iteration = 1 to 100
Proofread
Revise
If (perfect) then exit loop
next iteration
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1. The Writing Process
Plan
Iterate as needed
Draft
Revise
Proofread
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1. The Writing Process: Plan
a.
b.
c.
d.
Research: Gather source material
Analyze your audience
Analyze your purpose (thesis statement)
Organize and outline your document
– Organization can be based on other
similar documents (papers, etc.)
e. Generate a schedule and budget
Plan
Draft
Revise
Proofread
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1. The Writing Process: Plan
• Items a, b, and c (Research, Analyze Audience,
Analyze Purpose) are not necessarily in order
– When writing a thesis or paper, Research is first
• Research always includes literature review
– If you are rewriting a paper for a different
audience or purpose, Analyze Audience or
Analyze Purpose may be first
Plan
Draft
Revise
Proofread
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1. The Writing Process: Plan
a. Research
Google Scholar
CSU Library: www.ulib.csuohio.edu
– Research Databases: IEEE Xplore, INSPEC, …
– Subject portals
– Virtual Reference Desk
– Journal Finder
– SCHOLAR Online Catalog
– OhioLINK Central Catalog
– Interlibrary Loan
Plan
Draft
Revise
Proofread
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Journals at CSU
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1. The Writing Process: Plan
e. Generate a schedule and budget
• This may not be required for some writing, but it
is for others (conference, proposal, thesis, …)
• Create a thesis schedule:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
“Final” copy of thesis to advisor
Advisor spends two weeks reviewing
Student spends two weeks revising
Advisor spends two weeks reviewing
Final copy of thesis to committee
Committee spends two weeks reviewing
Student defends thesis
Two months!
Plan
Draft
Revise
Proofread
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1. The Writing Process: Draft
Sit down and write!
– Don’t worry about getting all the details correct …
but stay on topic
– Leave blank spaces and notes to yourself for
material to fill in later (text, facts, figures, etc.)
– This is a very rough draft, for your eyes
Plan
only. This is NOT the same as the Version A
Draft
report that you will hand in for this class!
Revise
Proofread
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1. The Writing Process: Revise
a. Review your draft. Fill in the missing material.
Correct grammar, spelling, figure placement,
formatting, etc.
b. Find reviewers. Give them a deadline.
– Expert reviewers
– Target audience (peer reviews)
c. Accept criticism; learn from it
d. Thank your reviewers
e. Revise your paper
Plan
Draft
Revise
Proofread
11
Outline
1. The Writing Process
2. Writing Effective Sentences
3. Common Writing Mistakes
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Avoid lists in formal writing – a technical
paper is not a PowerPoint presentation
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
Too long (60 words):
Given a system which can fail in one of several
different ways, a fault detection and isolation
algorithm uses sensor data in order to
determine which fault is the most likely to
have occurred, the effectiveness of which can
be quantified by a confusion matrix, which
indicates the probability that each fault is
isolated given that each fault has occurred.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
Too short (14, 17, 10, 17 words):
Suppose we have a system which can fail in
one of several different ways. A fault detection
and isolation (FDI) algorithm uses sensor data
to determine which fault is most likely. The
algorithm’s effectiveness can be quantified by
a confusion matrix. The confusion matrix
indicates the probability that each fault is
isolated given that each fault has occurred.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
Just right (28, 25 words):
Given a system which can fail in one of several
ways, a fault detection and isolation (FDI)
algorithm uses sensor data to determine
which fault is most likely. The algorithm’s
effectiveness can be quantified by a confusion
matrix, which indicates the probability that
each fault is isolated given that each fault has
occurred.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Focus on the real subject
– The use of this method eliminates damage.
– This method eliminates damage.
• Reduce the use of expletives, i.e., words that
do not have a specific meaning
– There is no better choice than FPGA technology.
– FPGA technology is the best choice.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Write actively – focus on the real verb
– The simulations were run 100 times.
– We ran 100 simulations.
• Use parallel sentence structures
– The system costs time and is reducing profits.
– The system is costing time and reduces profits.
– The system costs time and reduces profits.
– The system is costing time and reducing profits.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Parallel sentence structures
– After I arrived, I surveyed the scene, and then
my opponents were defeated.
– I came, I saw, I conquered.
– After I arrived, I surveyed the situation, and
then I defeated my opponents.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Parallel sentence structures
– Section 2 provides a review. Then we develop
the new algorithm in Section 3. Simulation
results are presented in Section 4.
– Section 2 provides a review, Section 3 presents
the new algorithm, and Section 4 provides
simulation results.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• What does your modifier modify?
– We measured tracking error, control effort, and
rise time. Method A only reduced tracking error.
– We measured tracking error, control effort, and
rise time. Only method A reduced tracking error.
– Superstition is a widespread phenomenon in
today’s society that should be destroyed.
– In today’s society, superstition is a widespread
phenomenon that should be destroyed.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• The subject of the meeting is artificial
intelligence in Compton Lounge.
• The subject of the meeting in Compton
Lounge is artificial intelligence.
• Artificial intelligence is the subject of the
Compton Lounge meeting.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Dangling modifiers
– Flying happily in the garden, I watched the bee.
– I watched the bee flying happily in the garden.
– This morning I shot a rhino in my pajamas.
– This morning, while in my pajamas, I shot a rhino.
– This morning I shot a rhino while I was wearing
pajamas.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Dangling modifiers
– We used a genetic algorithm with elitism to
determine if it could solve the problem better.
– We used a genetic algorithm with elitism to
determine if it could solve the problem better
than particle swarm optimization.
– We added elitism to determine if it could
improve the performance of the genetic
algorithm.
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2. Writing Effective Sentences
• Avoid obvious statements
– The simulation finished in a nonzero, finite time.
• Avoid filler words
– The new algorithm is basically simpler.
– The new algorithm is essentially simpler.
– The end result is a reduction in computer time.
– The algorithm is better in each and every way.
– The Accelerated Masters program is designed for
the best-of-the-best undergraduate students.
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Outline
1. The Writing Process
2. Writing Effective Sentences
3. Common Writing Mistakes
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• Periods and commas should “always” be
followed by a space.
• Commas should always be inside a
concluding quotation mark.
• M.Dische, “Observations on the morphological
changes of the developing heart”, Cardiovascular
Clinics, vol. 4 (3), p.175 - 191,1972
• Exceptions: There are some exceptions; e.g., when
a comma follows an abbreviation.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• Hyphens are used to join words – dashes are
used to separate phrases.
• Hyphens are shorter than dashes.
• Hyphens never have spaces around them.
• En dashes always have spaces around them
(except when used to indicate a range).
• Em dashes never have spaces around them.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
•
•
•
•
Hyphen: En dash: – (MS Word character code 0150)
Em dash: — (MS Word character code 0151)
Example: Time-invariant systems are easy to
understand – or at least they are easier than
time-varying systems.
• Example: Time-invariant systems are easy to
understand—or at least they are easier than
time-varying systems.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Hyphens can be used for clarification
• The guard captured five foot soldiers.
• The guard captured five foot-soldiers.
• The guard captured five-foot soldiers.
• I resent your message
• I re-sent your message.
• I studied the contract and decided to resign.
• I studied the contract and decided to re-sign.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Hyphens can be used for clarification
• Next we study two state systems.
• Next we study two-state systems.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Articles
• The definite article “the” refers to a specific
instance. Indefinite articles like “a” and “an”
refer to general cases.
• Example: We decided to use an FPGA to
implement the algorithm. The FPGA that we
used was an Altera.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• The abstract should be self-contained with no
references, usually 100–200 words, and
summarizes the paper; it is often written last
• The introduction should contain:
– Literature review and background
– Detailed summary of the contribution of the paper
– Overview of the paper
• The conclusion should contain:
– Summary of the paper
– Suggestions for future work
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Subsections
• If you have Section 5.1, you must also have
Section 5.2 – a section cannot be divided into
one subsection.
• Section headings should not be on the last line
of a page of text.
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This is an example of
bad writing because
the last line on the
page is a section
heading.
MS Word – Paragraph –
Line and Page Breaks –
Keep Lines Together
LaTeX - Automatic
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Capitalization
• Do not capitalize prepositions, articles, or
conjunctions, unless:
– Every letter in the phrase is capitalized
– The word appears first in a title
•
•
•
•
of Mice and Men
Of Mice And Men
Of Mice and Men
OF MICE AND MEN
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Prepositions
• Avoid ending sentences with prepositions
– The adaptive H-bridge was the only other
topology we compared our method with.
– The adaptive H-bridge was the only other
topology with which we compared our method.
• In general, ending a sentence with a
preposition is a mistake up with which I will
not put. However, this is only a general rule.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Parentheses
• If a parenthetical phrase is at the end of a
sentence, the period belongs outside the
parenthesis (like this).
• If an entire sentence is parenthetical, the
period belongs inside the parentheses.
(Here is an example.)
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Numbers
• Integers should be spelled out if they are less
than 10, or if the number begins a sentence.
• Integers should be written with numerals if
they are greater than nine.
• Nineteen of the 20 experiments successfully
transformed lead into gold.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Numbers
• Numbers should usually be written with
numerals if they are accompanied by units.
• The power supply is five volts.
• The power supply is 5 volts.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Numbers
• 9,192,631,770 Hertz is the frequency of
cesium 133.
• The frequency of cesium 133 is
9,192,631,770 Hertz.
• Thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit is the
freezing point of water.
• The freezing point of water is 32 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Capitalization
• Capitalize proper nouns (people, places, titles
of books and papers and software)
• Capitalize personal titles if they precede a
person’s name
– I had a meeting with Professor Smith.
– I had a meeting with Dr. Smith, my professor.
– I had a meeting with my professor.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
Capitalization
• Capitalize acronyms, but not their expanded
names, unless they should be capitalized
according to the rules on the previous page.
– We ran a Genetic Algorithm (GA).
– We ran a genetic algorithm (GA).
– We used an Integrated Circuit (IC).
– We used an integrated circuit (IC).
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• Capitalize words if they are named after a
person, depending on general use
– We used a Kalman filter
– We used a kalman filter
– We used a Fourier transform
– We used a fourier transform
– AC power is 60 hertz
– AC power is 60 Hertz
– The electronics run on 5 volts
– The electronics run on 5 Volts
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• Math symbols should always be italicized.
• A minus sign is not the same as a hyphen.
A minus sign is an en dash (close enough).
• The letter x and the asterisk * are not
multiplication signs.
y = 3 - 2 x sin(z)
y = 3 – 2 * sin(z)
y = 3 – 2 sin(z)
y = 3 – 2  sin(z)
(but multiplication signs are discouraged)
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• Define all math terms and symbols the first
time they are used.
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3. Common Writing Mistakes
• A number is a word, and a unit is a word.
Always separate words with spaces.
– I had 11bananas for lunch.
– I had 11 bananas for lunch.
– We used a 5V power supply.
– We used a 5 V power supply.
• I am aware that “everyone else” does it
wrong. But we should do it right.
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References
• M. Markel, Technical Communication
• L. Finkelstein, Pocket Book of Technical Writing
• D. Simon, Technical Report Template,
academic.csuohio.edu/simond/courses/ReportTemplate.pdf
Note: this is not a template for this course – it is a template
for general use
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